After two volumes concentrating on solo cantatas, the full forces – including the splendid choir – of Bach Collegium Japan return in this programme of five cantatas dated 1725. The choir instantly makes its presence felt in the first movement of the opening work, BWV68. This is a large-scale hymn arrangement, where the choir is supported by an orchestra including horn and oboes. This is followed by one of the most charming and beautiful soprano arias in all of Bach’s cantatas, ‘Mein gläubiges Herze’, in which Carolyn Sampson shines.

The five works all include various more or less unusual instrumental combinations, from the three recorders which lend a pastoral character to Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV175, to the wind quartet (two oboi d’amore and two oboi da caccia) appearing in Sie werden euch in den Bann tun, BWV183. The variety of timbres is further aided by the appearance of the cornet and trombones of Concerto Palatino, as well as that of Dmitry Badiarov performing the important and soloistic parts for violoncello piccolo on his own reconstruction of a violoncello ‘da spalla’ (‘of the shoulder’).